Something Offset 2: Electric Boogaloo

[hillerheilman]

I'd say that was the right choice for the purple lacquer for sure, that looks spectacular!

thats totally right!

Thanks everyone. I’m really liking how this has turned out.
Close to final clear coats:


I almost didn’t wanna do the purple at all, but the way it turned out is great.

[hillerheilman]

Quick update for everyone on this.
There was a very strange issue where the finish on the top kept cracking around the pickup holes and neither he or I could figure out why it was happening. So he decided it was best to just strip the top and re coat it.
This is what it’s looking like currently:





Hoping it’ll be in my hands by New Years.

[hillerheilman]

Okay I think the issue has been fixed, knock on wood. Here’s our final (hopefully) finish:


A handful of weeks for curing and assembly and it should be in my hands. Assuming nothing goes awry of course.
I’m hoping it’ll be worth the wait.

[jthomas]

Just..... Wow! Congrats and good to see something good come out of 2020.

[hillerheilman]

Polishing is getting done. Hopefully less than a week and it’s done.

[hillerheilman]

Forum, we have a problem. I have good news and bad news. Bad news first. The universe appears to be extremely displeased with me. A series of unfortunate events occurred pretty much literally right at the end leading to, well....this:

Naturally we’re both devastated. It was the ultimate dump the universe could have taken on me right now. Restarting wasn’t a route either of us wanted to take given that this has been worked on literally since I got my acoustic last year. But there is hope, for we have a solution:


Unfortunately I think it’s inevitable that we’ll have to ditch our “no screws visible in the front “ aesthetic with this solution, but such is the way of things I suppose.
Here’s where I REALLY need your help forum. I’m not sure if I can start an actual poll mid thread, but I NEED your input. I’d really like as much input on the guard shape as I can get, but more so I need help deciding on guard material.
Currently we have:
A) White pearloid
B) Black Tele guard material
C) Wood

I’m thinking about going with option C, and choosing purpleheart, but I worry that will be too much. I beseech thee, oh forum members, help me make a decision here.

[marqueemoon]

I vote black or if wood match the fretboard.

Also, that is a huge bummer, but good that you are pressing on.

[Amon 7.L]

First of all: the guitar is stunning.

Now, before rushing with a pickguard cover-up, how dimensionally big the damage is?
If the size is relatively small, what I'd do is to put an enhancement detail like an inlay with your initials, a badge or anything that matches the chromatic layout.

I'm about to fall asleep right now but tomorrow I'll might be able to come up with some ideas.

[HarlowTheFish]

I say black or wood that matches the fretboard. If you don't need the pickguard to be removable, just inlay it a bit and glue it down, or inlay a few neodymium magnets into the top and 'guard to hold it down without screws. Inlaying will look sweet with wood (ala the Mayones . . . Masterguard? I think that's what they call those), magnets keep it a bit more traditionally pickguard-y.

[gishuk]

As much as that really sucks to have happen so late in the build, I think the pickguard actually enhances this design and looks fantastic.

[Scout]

I agree with adding a decorative element if you had no plans for a pickguard.

Use it as a positive addition, not a problem.

Who drilled that hole? Someday you'll laugh about it.

[hillerheilman]

I agree with adding a decorative element if you had no plans for a pickguard.

Use it as a positive addition, not a problem.

Who drilled that hole? Someday you'll laugh about it.

He seemed pretty upset about it so I thought it best to just roll with the punches and not ask. But yeah. It’s unfortunate for sure. Not the end of the world though.
As you said, I think in the end we’ll be able to do something positive with it.

First of all: the guitar is stunning.

Now, before rushing with a pickguard cover-up, how dimensionally big the damage is?
If the size is relatively small, what I'd do is to put an enhancement detail like an inlay with your initials, a badge or anything that matches the chromatic layout.

I'm about to fall asleep right now but tomorrow I'll might be able to come up with some ideas.

About nickel size, I’d say.
I thought about maybe going the route of inlay shenanigans too, but I’m not sure how easy that’d be for him to pull off. I also don’t know if it’d draw the eye too much in a way I don’t want as opposed to a guard. I’m going to give him a few days to come up with some things. I think he wants to avoid having to refinish again though. Hence the pickguard route. Hell, he’s done it already twice now. I don’t blame him.

I say black or wood that matches the fretboard. If you don't need the pickguard to be removable, just inlay it a bit and glue it down, or inlay a few neodymium magnets into the top and 'guard to hold it down without screws. Inlaying will look sweet with wood (ala the Mayones . . . Masterguard? I think that's what they call those), magnets keep it a bit more traditionally pickguard-y.

I hadn’t considered the possibility of inlaying the guard. That seems like it could definitely work, but I’m not positive. I’ll run it past him and he can hopefully come up with some of that good old luthier wizardry.

I vote black or if wood match the fretboard.

Also, that is a huge bummer, but good that you are pressing on.

y’know, the more I think about it black is starting to make some sense. I normally really don’t like guitars with black guards (with the exception of some telecasters) but it could work here. I’m going back and forth between purpleheart and something else. I’m just not sure if it’d be too much purple. Y’know?

[hillerheilman]

Okay quick update. He tried it out of purpleheart. I’m thinking it’ll get darker as it ages of course. And it’ll match the back control cover. Initially I’d wanted him to do the pickguard edge all the way up to the purpleheart line on the top, but he suggested an alternative design.
Here that is:


I’ve asked about inlaying it, but he’s said he thinks he wants to just use tape or adhesive to adhere it to the top directly. Which I think is how it’s done on acoustic guards. Am I wrong?

[Scout]

Yes, an adhesive is used to attach guards on acoustics.

[HarlowTheFish]

As said above, for an acoustic PG (from what I've seen/used) it's a thin layer of adhesive across the entire bottom, then just stick it on. Usually works pretty well, and I've seen it on a few electrics (a buddy had a HH Tele with direct-mounted pickups, so he did a no-screws PG and stuck it on, with the baseplate tabs routed out). Generally though I think it works best with really thin (ala acoustic pickguards) or pretty thin (ala 0.06" thin plastics on an electric), and I don't know how thin the builder could safely get the purpleheart.

Inlaying looks something like this: https://mayones.com/page/regius-coreguard-7-mbc-2018/, which is a bit cleaner IMO considering normal working thicknesses for wood parts, but I can also see how something with a nice wide rounded bevel that's stuck on top would look sweet. That's a really good-looking pickguard shape too, if I hadn't been here for a lot of this thread I'd say it's original and intentional.